A conventional dispensing device for supplying heated adhesive (i.e., a hot-melt adhesive dispensing device) generally includes an inlet for receiving adhesive materials in solid or liquid form, a heater grid in communication with the inlet for heating the adhesive materials, an outlet in communication with the heater grid for receiving the heated adhesive from the heated grid, and a pump in communication with the heater grid and the outlet for driving and controlling the dispensation of the heated adhesive through the outlet. One or more hoses may also be connected to the outlet to direct the dispensation of heated adhesive to adhesive dispensing guns or modules located downstream from the dispensing device. Furthermore, conventional dispensing devices generally include a controller (e.g., a processor and a memory) and input controls electrically connected to the controller to provide a user interface with the dispensing device. The controller is in communication with the pump, heater grid, and/or other components of the device, such that the controller controls the dispensation of the heated adhesive.
Conventional hot-melt adhesive dispensing devices typically operate at ranges of temperatures sufficient to melt the received adhesive and heat the adhesive to an elevated application temperature prior to dispensing the heated adhesive. In order to ensure that the demand for heated adhesive from the downstream gun(s) and module(s) is satisfied, the adhesive dispensing devices are designed with the capability to generate a predetermined maximum flow of molten adhesive. As throughput requirements increase (e.g., up to 20 lb/hour or more), adhesive dispensing devices have traditionally increased the size of the heater grid and the size of the hopper and reservoir associated with the heater grid in order to ensure that the maximum flow of molten adhesive can be supplied.
However, large hoppers and reservoirs result in a large amount of hot-melt adhesive being held at the elevated application temperature within the adhesive dispensing device. This holding of the hot-melt adhesive at the elevated application temperature may keep the hot-melt adhesive at high temperature for only about 1 to 2 hours during maximum flow, but most conventional adhesive dispensing devices do not operate continuously at the maximum flow. To this end, all adhesive dispensing devices operate with long periods of time where the production line is not in use and the demand for molten adhesive is zero, or lower than the maximum flow. During these periods of operation, large amounts of hot-melt adhesive may be held at the elevated application temperature for long periods of time, which can lead to degradation and/or charring of the adhesive, negative effects on the bonding characteristics of the adhesive, clogging of the adhesive dispensing device, and/or additional system downtime.
In addition, the supply of adhesive material into the hopper must also be monitored to maintain a generally consistent level of hot-melt adhesive in the adhesive dispensing device. Adhesive, generally in the form of small shaped pellets, is delivered to the hopper by various methods, including manual filling and automated filling. In one known method of filling the hopper, adhesive pellets are moved into the hopper with pressurized air that flows at a relatively high rate of speed. In order to monitor the level of hot-melt adhesive in the hopper, the hopper may include a level sensor in the form of a probe or some other structure extending into the middle of the hopper to detect the amount of adhesive material located in the hopper. As the adhesive pellets are delivered into the hopper by various methods, the probe may collect adhesive material that sticks on or splashes onto the probe. This collection of adhesive material, if not rapidly removed, may adversely affect the accuracy of readings from the level sensor. However, it has proven difficult to remove this collection of adhesive material from probe-like level sensors during operation. Thus, in circumstances of high throughput through the adhesive dispensing device, a lag in accurate readings from the level sensor could lead to insufficient or excessive levels of adhesive material within the hopper.
For reasons such as these, an improved hot-melt adhesive dispenser device and level sensor would be desirable for use with different types of hoppers and different types of filling processes.